The Campaign

AAC) ..as weakened their political nerve.

The delays however do notadd up to a defeat for the coalition or the . tight wing. So far it is only a setback for the right, but one which has church and state and their support for denial of democratic rights.

The campaign has the potential to win a ‘NO” vote and finally rout PLAC. There is a polittorn between the need to discipline the working class and the need to modernise the state. There is growing opposition among the population and especially inside-the decade and the issues of contraception and now divorce are striking examples of ‘pressure group’ campaigns being out-manoevured by the right and the state.

Over the coming months the fight to pull out the ‘NO’ vote should be organised around three Getting the workers move ment on to the streets ~ behind the campaign.

Building for national demonstrations/rallies throughout the whole 32 counties.

Drawing in all levels of support around an open national conference. This can launch the campaign drive towards referendum day.

Propaganda around the main political issues at The ending of Nicky Kelly’s. hunger strike does not end the campaign for his release. The fight to secure his release must go on at a new level. To date the campaign has achieved important gains. Firstly in terms of the broad support; up to SM action groups, with 9 Trades councils, 8 Trade unions, 11 county and urban district councils andupwards of 200 solicitors who have called for either a review of his case and/or his release. Internationally support has grown in; France, England, Scotland, Denmark, West Germany, Holland, Canada, Australia and the USA.

Secondly, the campaign has succeeded in exposing the 1973/77 Coalition’s use of repression against its politicak opponents. Subsequent Fainna Fail Govts. have failed to live up to their commitments, given while in opposition, to hold a public inquiry. Indeed several of the ‘Heavy gang’ detectives’ have been promoted.

A realisation that bo ~ Coalition and Fianna fail. ~ need to rely on the repressive apparatus of the state is slowly gaining ground. Their general impotency, the austerity drive, and outright collaboration with Britain makes it imperative for them to contain and defeat the Anti-Imperialist workers. movements.

The new campaign will be a propaganda one. During Nicky’s hunger strike we had not yet achieved mass mobilisation in the communities ar the workers move ment. But Nicky has not been defeated. It is a stalemate.

However in the next period mass action will be more difficult to secure. The lessons of the previous months are therefore iniportant to sum up in order to map out a strategy for the coming period.

The overall lesson we must learn is that mobilisation of certain leaders in different sectors is insufficient to defeat a central aspect of Coalition strategy - i.e. extension of the repressive apparatus of the state.

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demoralised SPUC, PLAC role in consolidating